Blood of Dragons (10 page)

Dagda puts his head back against the chair and closes his eyes.  I believe he is considering my proposal.  Isla tilts her head and the look on her face makes me want to squirm in my chair.  Wow, me, an Archangel, being intimidated by a Fairy.  Except for the ill-timed body swap and kidnapping, this is a very exciting day for me.  I try not to let that show on my face.

Zac is the first to speak.  “How do I help them?  Do I have to read all of those books?”  His face says exactly what he thinks of that idea.

I smile.  “No, you would simply need to help your parents by getting the books for them and turning the pages.  Then they could search for a way to swap Xandra and me back while the rest of us retrieve Miss Tabitha.”

Dagda looks at Xandra’s mother with questioning eyes.  “Your thoughts?”

She mulls it over a moment.  “It does seem reasonable.”  I can tell that she would rather we all be working on the body swap issue, but her concern for Tabitha prevents her from doing so.  The machinations of humanoid brains.  Fascinating.  Perhaps the next time I fall I will choose a realm that has beings other than large reptiles simply to watch them figure out their lives without being all knowing.

“I agree,” she says.  “With one condition.”  She turns to Dagda.  “I believe you should remain here.”

Storm clouds move in on his face.  “I am going.”

I think I see where she is going with this.  Maybe I can help.  “I believe she is implying that your presence here in this realm is crucial at this juncture.  Word will spread fast that something is amiss and you will need to reassure your subjects that things are under control.”

He shakes his head and sighs, resting his head against the back of the chair again.  “You are correct.”

“Kallen, are you comfortable with this?” Isla asks.

I think comfortable may be too strong of a word at the moment.  I do not believe he will be comfortable until Xandra once again inhabits this body.  I will try again to reassure him.  “I will continue to search for answers that may be hidden away somewhere in my mind.  I am as eager as you to have this resolved.” 

Hmm, being in this realm seems to be affecting my moral compass because that statement was not completely true.  I am jealous as hell that he gets to spend the rest of his life with Xandra.  I am not eager to have this situation resolved because the longer I am here and she is not, the longer it will be before I have to go back to watching her be with another.  But, I made this choice and I will abide by what I said.  I will search for answers whether I want to or not, for I must hold the key somewhere in my mind.

Instead of answering Isla, Kallen turns to Dagda.  “You give me your word you will do everything in your power to get Xandra back.”

Dagda sits forward.  “I will not rest until she is back here insulting me and constantly being a test of my authority.”  He attempts a smile but it is rather grim.

Kallen does not even try to smile.  He looks at Isla.  “We should be off.  I do not want to waste any more time.  If just the three of us go, we can make better time.”

Isla rises from her chair.  “You are correct.”  Looking at me, she says, “Perhaps something more comfortable and less eye catching would be appropriate.”

Yes, this wedding dress is rather binding.  Time to test my magic.  Or Xandra’s magic.  I pull some from the earth and I am flooded with coarse, wild magic that is quite difficult to control.  There is so much of it.  Beings in realms other than that of the Angels are not supposed to be able to draw on this much magic.  Especially considering how impure it is.

As I am internally ruminating, the magic has taken on a mind of its own.  It is seeping out everywhere.  I need to get a handle on it.  I get an image in my mind of what I would like to wear so I can give it direction.  Perhaps if I close my eyes I can focus better.  Alright, black pants and gray shirt.  Oh, and shoes.  Black.  I feel the wedding dress melt away and the new clothing taking shape.  I open my eyes to look at my creations.  Now I want to close them again.

I did not take into consideration the size difference between Xandra and myself.  Therefore, I am wearing pants that are sure to fall down when I stand up and a shirt that would serve well as sleepwear.  It goes well past my knees.  The shoes that are on my feet are overly large.  By approximately four inches.

“Ahem.”  Isla’s voice drags me out of my self-assessment.  I look up at her and I want to close my eyes yet again.  Though she is taller than Xandra, she is still quite slender.  She is holding her new black pants up with one hand and trying not to slap me with the other.  At least, that is what I assume she wants to do.  It could be something worse.  A quick scan of the room shows me that Kallen and Dagda, as well as a maid whom just walked into the room, are similarly clad.  At least their pants are not falling down.  Well, the maid’s are but she is holding them up admirably.

“Xandra’s back!” Zac shouts and he runs to me throwing his arms around my neck.

Oh, how I wish this was true.  I am an Archangel.  I do not lose control of magic.  I wield it as easily as I breathe.  I can level realms as easily as I can prepare a light snack.  I
do not
inadvertently dress others in garments meant only for me.

“No, she is not,” Kallen says coldly. 

Zac drops his hands from around me.  “Oh.”  The amount of disappointment in that one word saddens my heart.

“Soon,” I promise him.

Isla tilts her head.  “If nothing else, it is good to know that Xandra’s magic truly is difficult to control.”

I believe I am blushing.  Another marvel for the day.  “Yes, quite.  I am impressed that she accomplishes so much when she wields it.  It is coarse and wild with a propensity to take on a life of its own.”  I knew this before but experiencing it is different.  I have a great deal more respect for how Xandra is able to keep her magic reined in.  With that thought, a drop of sadness seeps from my closed off heart.  I have set her on a path that may be more difficult than the one originally meant for her.

Isla looks much less impressed with my epiphany.  “As fascinating as that is, I would appreciate you reversing the magic.”

Hopefully, I can.  Trying to pull less magic, I let it flow out of me and towards the others in the room, returning them to their previous state of dress.  It works.  I am getting the hang of this now.  Next, I adjust my own clothes so that they fit Xandra’s slender frame.

Dagda comes around the desk.  “Kallen, I have given you my word in regards to Xandra.  You must promise the same for Tabitha.  I want her back here alive and well and in one piece.”

“There is no other option.”  There is an impressive amount of steel in Kallen’s voice.  He is brave and determined. 

Turning back to Isla, Dagda says, “I will send guards with you.  You may need the extra magic.”  He gives me a pointed look.  I believe he is implying that my assistance may be negligible.  This is a day for wonders.

“Guards will not be necessary,” Isla says.  “The fewer Fairies in our party, the easier it will be to move about in the Dragon realm.”

Dagda nods in understanding.  “Just be sure everyone you left with comes back.”

It was a rhetorical statement so Isla does not respond.  She walks towards the door and says, “We will open a gateway outside.  Xandra could probably open one inside the palace without mishap, but you have not had enough experience with her magic yet.”

True.  “I understand.”  Without another word, she turns around and walks out the door.  Kallen and I are left to follow.  We do.

I expect her to lead us through the throne room and the great hall where the guests have been dismissed though the decorations are still in place.  She does not.  She winds us through several corridors until we reach the kitchen.  The smell of freshly baked bread fills my nasal passages with joy.

Unfortunately, I am the only one.  Isla and Kallen walk through the kitchen as if they do not notice a thing.  Perhaps their olfactory sense is not as keen as Xandra’s.

Once outside, Isla and Kallen both turn to me expectantly.  I know what I am supposed to do because I have watched Xandra do this.  I also know the magic behind it.  Reaching my hand out, I try to channel just enough magic to open a gateway.  It is not opening so I pull a little more magic.  As much as I complain about knowing everything, I find that it can be rather frustrating when you do not.  I pull more magic but I am not as careful this time.  Too much magic flows through me as I tear the folds of the realms away.  The magic barges through the gateway and attacks the Fairy standing on the other side.  He may have been expecting us, but he was not expecting the magic.  That is evident by the writhing he is currently doing on the floor of his…I suppose you could call it a cavern.  Now, I need to figure out how to get this magic back.

Chapter 11 – Xandra

“What do you want me to do?” I ask Ray.

He stares at me for a long moment and then he glances at Adriel.  “We need a good explanation for what happened back there.”

Is he implying that he wants to lie?  How un-Angel like of him.  I’m going to go along with it though.  “Do Angels get drunk?”  I’ve used that excuse before except it was Fairy poison not alcohol that made me that way.

Ray chuckles.  “We do enjoy our ambrosia from time to time but never to excess.”

That’s probably a good thing.  I don’t think Raziel would be happy to come back to having the entire Angel population thinking he’s an alcoholic.  “How about showing off for a pretty Angel.  Would Raziel do that?”  For some reason, I want the answer to be no.  Which is really, really selfish of me since I am desperately wanting to be with Kallen.

Ray chuckles again but Adriel is suddenly uncomfortable as she says, “Archangels do not choose life mates amongst lower Angels.”  My face folds into a frown.  Even Angels have prejudices like that? 

“That is most often the case, but it is not for the reason you are thinking Xandra,” Ray says.  He still looks amused. 

“Right,” I mumble.

“You have not truly grasped the power of an Archangel,” he says.  “What happened back there was only a very small testament to the power we are able to wield.”

That’s a scary thought.  “Why does that matter?”

“Archangels can decimate entire realms with a thought.  We must use this power to keep everyone, everywhere on the correct path.  We are not vengeful, but we must keep order and we dole out punishments when necessary.  You have witnessed this.  This makes choosing a life mate from those less powerful difficult.  There is no equality in a relationship when there is such an unbalance in power.  Archangels are often forced to make harsh decisions and leave personal feelings out of it.  This can make us seem cold and uncaring.  It is a lonely life but that is simply how it is.  It would not be fair to burden others with our responsibilities.”